Five "W's" of Mindfulness

The mindfulness has seen a revival of interest in the seventies. The practice is often described as a panacea for various ailments. They can range from headache, through digestive issues to raising children. What is this practice about? Let’s put mindfulness to a “Five W’s Test” – the what, why, who, when and where of the mindfulness.

What is mindfulness?

Berkeley University website defines mindfulness as a process of non-judgmental awareness. We attempt to be aware of our thoughts, feelings, sensations and surrounding environment “through a gentle, nurturing lens”. For many newcomers to mindfulness, the word “non-judgmental” posses the biggest problem. Our brain always scans the environment for the possible dangers and traps. We are mostly in the ‘where is the problem’ mode. And even if there is no problem, we worry that our pleasant experience may soon be over. A special network in your brain called DMN (Default Mode Network) handles that. This is how we are wired.

Why mindfulness?

Our body is a complex machine, with the brain being at the helm of it. An average person has about 48.6 thoughts per minute. (Laboratory of Neuro- Imaging of the University of Southern California). That adds up to a total of 70,000 thoughts per day. The human brain weighs only about 3 pounds. It continues to grow from conception until the person is about 18 years old. Many studies have proven that mindfulness has visible effects in slowing brain activity. Have you noticed that most of your thoughts have to do with the past or future events? Do we live in “now”? At the beginning, this is quite a difficult task. A brain that is processing fewer thoughts is your friend, many systems in our body get a brake. The non-doing mode is a challenge for your brain, it is hard not to be engaged with your thoughts.

Who is the mindfulness for?

Everyone! Anyone who wants to live their life, experiencing every moment of it.

The children can benefit to be more aware about their reactions and body mechanism. Middle-aged individuals “can practice to put their mind at ease” and lower the stress of daily tasks. Mindfulness practice can help seniors to manage pain or grief. It can also increase the joy of life We are all too aware of our thoughts and worries, at any age. Mindfulness requires us to work with the thoughts by putting them to the background.

When is the best time to be mindful?

Many people like to practice mindfulness daily, at the same time. It can be morning, noon or before falling asleep. Mindfulness practice is challenging after a meal. Your full stomach usually dominates your thoughts.

Where is the best place to do it?

Undisturbed (fewest external stimuli) environment is the best. I recommend an empty room, room with doors closed or outdoors. I noticed that sometimes birds are very loud in the morning and evenings are better. You do not need a cushion, a yoga mat. Some of us may need to have “a get-up plan” once they assume a cross-legged position on the floor.